Apparatus for transferring semiconductor wafers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring a plurality of semiconductor wafers from their cassettes to a boat. This apparatus comprises a support body on which the cassettes and the boat are mounted, a lifter for lifting wafers from the cassettes, a handling device for carrying the wafers and transferring them to the boat, and a plurality fans for introducing dust created by the handling device into the support body and removing it outside the support body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for transferring semiconductor wafers comprising: a hollow support body;   first and second wafer seating members mounted on said hollow support body;   a take-out means for lifting wafers out of the first wafer seating member;   a handling means for transferring wafers from the take-out means to the second wafer seating member, said handling means including a swing means of swinging the wafers about a first vertical axis;   dust-removing means for introducing dust created by the handling means into the hollow support body and for removing said dust from the hollow support body;   a swing shaft included in said swing means and a passage formed in said swing shaft, said passage joining the handling means with the hollow support body in fluidic communication; and   an exhaust hole formed in a lower portion of the swing shaft allowing fluid to pass from the handling means to the hollow support body.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dust removing means is contained at least partly within said handling means. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust-removing means is contained at least partly within the support body. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said handling means and said support body are joined by a coupling member and the dust-removing means is at least partly contained within the coupling member. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exhaust hole is formed in a side wall of the swing shaft. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exhaust hole is formed at a lower end of the swing shaft. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said handling means includes a plurality of chuck member adapted to grip wafers therebetween, and wherein said dust-removing means includes means for removing dust from the vicinity of said chuck members. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said means for removing dust form the vicinity of said chuck members includes exhaust ducts. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for removing dust form the vicinity of said chuck members further includes a small-sized blower adapted to produce an air flow through said exhaust ducts toward said hollow support body.